dred Years old. He purchased thefe Woods with fo many Herds of Cattle and Flocks of Sheep, and with fuch a vast Extent of Fields and Paftures, that Shalum was now grown more wealthy than Mishpach; and therefore appeared fo charming in the Eyes of Zilpah's Daughter, that he no longer refufed him in Marriage. On the Day in which he brought her up into the Mountains he raised a moft prodigious Pile of Cedar and of every fweet fmelling Wood, which reached above 300 Cubits in Height: He alfo caft into the Pile Bundles of Myrrh and Sheaves of Spikenard, enriching it with every fpicy Shrub, and making it fat with the Gums of his Plantations. This was the Burnt-Offering which Shalum offered in the Day of his Efpoufals: The Smoke of it afcended up to Heaven, and filled the whole Country with Incense and Perfume.

N° 586.

Friday, August 27.

Qua in vita ufurpant homines, cogitant, curant, vident, Quaque agunt vigilantes, agitantque, ea cuique in fomno accidunt. Cic. de Div.

B

Y the laft Poft I received the following Letter, which is built upon a Thought that is new, and very well carried on; for which Reasons I shall give it to the Publick without Alteration, Addition, or Amendment.

SIR,

• It was a good Piece of Advice which Pythagoras gave to his Scholars, That every Night before they flept they should examine what they had been a doing that Day, and fo difcover what Actions were worthy of Purfuit to Morrow, and what little Vices were to be prevented from flipping unawares into

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a Habit. If I might fecond the Philofopher's Advice, it fhould be mine, That in a Morning before my Scholar rofe, he should confider what he had been about that Night, and with the fame Strictnefs, as if the Condition he has believ'd himself to be in, was real. Such a Scrutiny into the Actions of his Fancy must be of confiderable Advantage, ⚫ for this Reafon, Because the Circumstances which • Man imagines himself in during Sleep, are generally • fuch as entirely favour his Inclinations good or bad, and give him imaginary Opportunitics of pursuing them to the utmoft; fo that his Temper will lye fairly open to his View, while he confiders how it is moved when free from thofe Conftraints which ⚫ the Accidents of real Life put it under. Dreams are certainly the Result of our waking Thoughts, and our daily Hopes and Fears are what give the Mind · fuch nimble Relishes of Pleasure, and fuch fevere Touches of Pain, in its Midnight Rambles. A Man that murders his Enemy, or deferts h's Friend in a Dream, had need to guard his Temper against Reyenge and Ingratitude, and take heed that he be not tempted to do a vile thing in the Pursuit of falfe, or the Neglect of true Honour. For my

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Part, I feldom receive a Benefit, but in a Night or two's Time I make moft noble Returns for it; which tho' my Benefactor is not a whit the better for, yet it pleates me to think that it was from a Principle of Gratitude in me, that my Mind was fufceptible of fuch generous Tranfport while I thought my felf repaying the Kindness of my Friend: And I have often been ready to beg Pardon, inflead of returning an Injury, after confidering, that when the Offender was in my Power I had carried my • Refentments much too far.

your

I think it has been obferv'd in the Course of Papers, how much one's Happiaefs or Milery may depend upon the Imagination: Of v.hich Truth thofe ftrange Workings of Fancy in Sleep are no inconfiderable Inftances; fo that not only the Ad

vantage

< vantage a Man has of making Discoveries of himself, but a Regard to his own Eafe or Difquiet, may induce him to accept of my Advice. Such as are willing to comply with it, I fhall put into a way of doing it with Pleasure, by obferving only one Maxim which I fhall give them, viz. To go to Bed with a Mind entirely free from Paffion, and a Body clear of the leaft Intemperance.

THEY indeed who can fink into Sleep with their Thoughts lefs calm or innocent than they fhould be, do but plunge themfelyes into Scenes of Guilt and Mifery; or they who are willing to purchafe any Midnight Difquietudes for the Satisfaction of a full Meal, or a Skin full of Wire; thefe I havenothing to fay to, as not knowing how to invite"'em to Reflections full of Shame and Horror: But thofe that will obferve this Rule, I promife 'em they fhall awake into Health and Cheerfulness, and be capable of recounting with Delight thofe glorious. Moments wherein the Mind has been indulging it-felf in fuch Luxury of Thought, fuch noble Hurry of Imagination. Suppofe a Man's going fupperlefs • to Bed fhould introduce him to the Table of fome great Prince or other, where he fhall be entertained with the nobleft Marks of Honour and Plenty, and do fo much Bufinefs after, that he fhall rife with as good a Stomach to his Breakfast as if he had fasted< all Night long; or fuppofe he fhould fee his dearest Friends remain all Night in great Diftreffes, which hefhould inftantly have difengaged them from, could he have been content to have gone to Bed without the t'other Bottle: Believe me, thefe Effects of Fancy are no contemptible Confequences of command ing or indulging one s Appetite.

I forbear recommending my Advice upon many < other Accounts, 'till I hear how you and your Rea•ders relish what I have already faid, among whom, if there be any that may pretend it is nefs to them, because they never dream at all, there may be others, perhaps, who do little cife all Day long.

Were

Were every one as fenfible as I am what happens ⚫ to him in his Sleep, it would be no Dispute whether we past so confiderable a Portion of our Time in the • Condition of Stocks and Stones, or whether the Soul • were not perpetually at Work upon the Principle of Thought. However, 'tis an honeft Endeavour of mine to perfwade my Countrymen to reap fome Advantage from fo many unregarded Hours, and as • fuch you will encourage it.

'I fhall conclude with giving you a Sketch or two of my Way of procceding.

IF I have any Bufinefs of Confequence to do to Morrow, I am scarce dropt afleep to Night but I am in the midst of it, and when awake Ï consider the ⚫ whole Proceffion of the Affair, and get the Advantage of the next Day's Experience before the Sun has ⚫rifen upon it.

THERE is fcarce a great Poft but what I have fome Time or other been in; but my Behaviour ⚫ while I was Master of a College pleafes me fo well,

• that whenever there is a Province of that Nature vacant, I intend to step in as soon as I can.

I have done many Things that would not pafs Examination, when I have had the Art of Flying, ⚫ or being invifible; for which Reason I am glad I am not poffeffed of thofe extraordinary Qualities.

LASTLY, Mr. SPECTATOR, I have been a great Correfpondent of yours, and have read many of my Letters in your Paper which I never wrote to you. If you have a Mind I fhould really be fo, I have got a Parcel of Vifions and other Mifcellanies ' in my Noctuary, which I fhall fend you to enrich your Paper with on proper Occafions.

Oxford, Aug. 20.

I am, &c.

John Shadow.

Monday,

N° 587.

TH

Monday, Auguft 30.

Intus, & in Cute novi.

Perf

HO' the Author of the following Vision is unknown to me, I am apt to think it may be the Work of that ingenious Gentleman, who promised me, in the laft Paper, some Extracts out of his Noctuary.

SIR,

"I Was the other Day reading the Life of Mahomet. Among many other Extravagancies, I find it ⚫ recorded of that Impoftor, that in the fourth Year of his Age the Angel Gabriel caught him up, while he was among his Piay-fellows, and, carrying him afide, cut open his Breaft, plucked out his Heart, and wrung out of it that black Drop of Blood, in which, fay the Turkish Divines, is contained the • Fomes Peccati, fo that he was free from Sin ever after. I immediately faid to my felf, tho' this Story be a Fiction, a very good Moral may be drawn ⚫ from it, would every Man but apply it to himself, ⚫ and endeavour to fqueeze out of his Heart whatever Sins or ill Qua ities he find in it.

WHILE my Mind was wholly taken up with this Contemplation, I infenfibly fell into a moft pleafing Slumber, when methought two Porters entered my Chamber, carrying a large Cheft between them. After having fet it down in the middle of the Room they departed. I immediately endeavoured to open 'what was fent me, when a Shape, like that in which we paint our Angels, appeared before me, and forbad be. Enclofed, faid he, are the Hearts of feveral of your Friends and Acquaintance; but before you

can